irm policy. What was the result?
Failure. I will say nothing more about it. Then Sir Hercules
Robinson reverted to the _laissez-faire_ policy. South Africa was
under a shade--nobody would look at us. But now we are gradually
righting ourselves, and getting into a prosperous condition. Now
are being raised again the cries for a grand policy. I caution you
against them. Let us manage our own affairs. _Laissez faire,
laissez aller_--that is our policy for South Africa. There are no
nostrums required. The one thing required is the gradual bringing
of the Dutch and English together. There are no two races more
fitted to unite. You know how like they are to Englishmen. The Boer
is as like the English farmer as possible. There are no people more
fond of manly sports than the Dutch; they enter into them
heartily, and in the cricket and football fields they are among the
best players. They are as fond of riding and shooting as Englishmen
are. In fact, the Dutch and the English are as like as Heaven can
make them, and the only thing that keeps them apart is man's
prejudice. The one thing to do is to bring them together. How can
you help that end? Not by girding at them, and writing against Boer
ways, but by recognising the fact that they have been pioneers in
South Africa, and that they are the only people who will settle on
the land. I see there is a great agitation about Swaziland, which
is entirely surrounded by the Transvaal Republic. ("No.") Well,
except as to Tongaland, and I am not going to say anything about
that. The cry is got up, "Don't hand it over to the Boers." In
whose interest is that cry got up? It is in the interest of a few
speculators, and not in the interest of the capitalists, who have
L108,000,000 invested in the Transvaal, and yet are not afraid to
trust the Boers with Swaziland. This girding at the Dutch is
resented, and does incalculable harm. People at home have very
little idea how much influence public opinion in England has in
South Africa. Sir Frederick Young has alluded to President Kruger,
who won't put down prize fights because he might be thought to be
oppressing the Englishman! All I ask is, don't let your talk about
union with the Dutch be mere lip service. Trust them; work hand in
hand with them. Unless you do you will mak